Fitter and faster: MY09 Rex grows teeth

The real Rex is back. Mild more than wild in its MY08 guise, Subaru has injected muscle and more than a dash of mongrel back into its WRX. Indeed, with 26kW more power and 23Nm more torque, the MY09 Impreza WRX is a return to the good old days when the Rex effectively built Subaru's performance reputation Down Under.
 
The MY09 WRX essentially blends the rawness of the MY07 and earlier models with the more polished (read: refined) performance of the MY08 edition. Available in both hatch and sedan variants, Subaru Australia expects the new car -- on sale now -- to grow sales from the current 80 per month level to between 120-150 units.
 
Though Subaru Australia boss Nick Senior was at pains to point out the changes wrought to the MY08 WRX have allowed the model to attract a wider group of customers, he told the Carsales Network that the updated car will be better accepted by the nameplate's "traditional customers".
 
Thanks to an injection of STI-sourced parts and significant local development of the suspension package, the MY09 WRX is a much sharper offering. According to Subaru Australia's own testing, it's also faster.
 
Says the local operation, the new 195kW/343Nm WRX hatch (was 169kW/320Nm) is over 0.7sec faster to 100km/h (5.31sec v 6.03) and 0.78sec and almost 9km/h faster over the standing quarter mile (13.27sec v 14.05; 163.02km/h v 154.63).
 
And the margins are maintained or bettered in in-gear acceleration testing. In fourth and fifth gears, the 80-140km/h increment takes 7.96 and 11.12sec respectively. These figures represent improvements of up to 1.54sec, says the carmaker.
 
Subaru also claims the car is faster round the track. In testing with rally aces Cody Crocker and Dean Herridge behind the wheel, the MY09 WRX was an average of 1.85sec per lap faster around the 1km-long Marulan Driver Training Centre circuit than the MY08 model.
 
While Subaru is talking around the issue, the changes are largely in answer to local criticism the WRX had gone soft in its MY08 guise. Though the engine changes will be applied to some other overseas markets, the suspension set-up is unique to Australia.
 
The horsepower and torque increases (15.4 and 7.2 per cent respectively) come thanks to a new-to-WRX IHI turbocharger sourced from the MY08 WRX STI. The new RHF55 blower increases maximum boost from 78 to 92kPa -- still 11kPa short of the STI's figure. In addition, the MY09 model features a less restrictive exhaust system
 
But better engine performance is just part of the story, Subaru claims. There have been changes to the five-speed transmission for better shift feel while much of the laptime improvement can be laid at the feet of the new rubber and suspension tune.
 
Underneath the MY09 are wider Dunlop SP Sport rubber (225/45R 17s, in lieu of Yokohama Advan 205/50s) and upgraded spring and damper rates. The car uses the STI's front strut mounts and has larger diameter antiroll bars to boot.
 
These changes, combined with the spring and shock changes, created a 'stiffer' car, though not one that goes all the way back to the back old days of rock-hard Rexs.
 
Over a wide range of tarmac and loose gravel surfaces on Subaru's launch drive in NE Victoria, the MY09 WRX exhibited a remarkably sophisticated blend of body control and more than acceptable ride. There's no mistaking this is a sporting car, but there's surprisingly little price to pay in terms of impact harshness. Road noise is also well controlled -- especially in the WRX sedans we drove.
 
The steering too has been tweaked with a damper valve incorporated in the steering system to reduce kickback. On the rutted dirt section of the launch drive it worked a treat. Overall the steering has been lightened up -- perhaps a tad too much for our liking.
 
That said, while it also has less feel than previous iterations, it remains responsive.
 
The WRX also gets a minor makeover for 2009. The sedan and hatch share a new grille and WRX badges front and rear, and red painted calipers help distinguish the cars from their lesser atmo-powered RS brethren.
 
Overall, the Impreza sedan is a more masculine design than the last generation but in WRX form suffers from a touch of 'ho-hum' around the rear end. While the WRX hatch has a rakish diffuser-style lower valance to differentiate it from the cooking models, the sedan makes do with Liberty-style faux bumper vents.
 
The sedan's cause is not helped, either, due to the fact it gets small diameter Forester-style twin exhausts. Thank goodness, the WRX hatch retains the 'pukka' large-diameter single outlet.
 
Inside the cabin there's still too much hard shiny plastic for our liking, but hey, it's an Impreza! At least the WRX is now differentiated from its RS brethren via badging and red stitching on the well-shaped cloth-covered sport seats.
 
The test version we drove featured optional leather which lifted the cabin considerably. Though Subaru has offered limited edition leather upholstered WRXs before, the MY09 introduces the option to the mainstream for the first time.
 
Subaru also offers sunroof and sat-nav options for this version of the WRX.
 
As icing on the cake, despite the performance upgrades, Subaru claims the new WRX is more frugal when it comes to the petrol pump. The ADR 81 combined figure has been trimmed for 10.7L/100km to 10.4 -- an improvement of almost 3 per cent. Over our relatively quick loop, the car easily bettered 13L/100km.
 
Subaru's launch drive included a road loop (see above) and a short back-to-back track session where the press contingent was able to compare the MY08 and new MY09 versions.
 
The MY09 was noticeably sharper than the MY08 model, at least for the first three-quarters of a lap or so of Winton Raceway (near Benalla, Vic) at which point both year models were hampered by standard-issue brake pads and normal road tyre pressures. Turn-in was noticeably better on the MY09 and apexes were a touch easier to hit, at least until the standard Dunlops cried enough.
 
The extra performance of the MY09 model was most noticeable on the road, however.
 
This latest version of what has become a performance legend Down Under is a significantly quicker car in normal use. Where the MY08 model required a downchange to take advantage of quick overtaking opportunities, the MY09 is a top gear proposition -- just squeeze the throttle and go.
 
It's this performance step-change that proves 12 months on from reinventing the WRX and aiming it at a wider market, Subaru has built a better mousetrap.
 
Now facing tougher opposition than ever from the likes of Mitsubishi's twin-clutch equipped Ralliart Lancer and with a seriously capable rejigged Mazda 3 MPS just around the corner, the return to form could not have come at a better time... 
 
Subaru Impreza WRX MY09 price list 
Sedan
Impreza WRX: $39,990
Impreza WRX with leather trim and sunroof: $42,490
Impreza WRX with Sat Nav: $42,980
Impreza WRX with Sat Nav, leather and sunroof: $45,480
 
Hatch
Impreza WRX: $39,990
Impreza WRX with leather trim and sunroof: $42,490
Impreza WRX with Sat Nav: $42,980
Impreza WRX with Sat Nav, leather and sunroof: $45,480

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